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Riko Sakaguchi

Writer · Born May 16, 1972 (54) · Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan

Born
May 16, 1972 (54)
From
Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan
Works as
Writer
Titles
8 on MovieCove · 17 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 157 days to Oct 28Up 8% in 30 days

What are Riko Sakaguchi's films like?

Across their 7 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Bonds.

Themes

share of theme weight
Self
48%
Bonds
25%
Power
11%
Survival
8%
Society
7%
Romantic love3 titles, browse their movies with this themeComing of age2 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity2 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose3 titles, browse their movies with this themeFreedom2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 7 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 4 · Serious 0 · Dark 3

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

A split, not a type: Grounded 3 · Stylized 1 · Heightened 3

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 3 · Charged 3 · Intense 1

Steady: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their steady movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 4 · Shifting 3 · Whiplash 0

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 5 · Some laughs 2 · Funny 0

Slow burn: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their slow burn movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 5 · Even-paced 2 · Relentless 0

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 2 · Engaged 4 · Full focus 1

Open-ended: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their open-ended movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

A split, not a type: Resolved 4 · Open-ended 0 · Ambiguous 3

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Melancholic
4
Warm
3
Hopeful
4
Bittersweet
2
Contemplative
2
Other
6

How their films linger

Hopeful5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteDevastating2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 1 with a twist

  • Happy2
  • Bittersweet5

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Riko Sakaguchi's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 4 of their 8 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Riko Sakaguchi's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

17 credits, 8 with a MovieCove page.

  • Books Bought with Tax (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2026)

    Show 32 episodes · Writer

  • Climbing for Life(2025)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Father of the Milky Way Railroad (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2023)

    Screenplay

  • To Every You I've Loved Before(2022)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • To the Solitary Me Who Loved You(2022)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • Cherry Magic! Thirty Years of Virginity Can Make You a Wizard?!: The Movie(2022)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • Fortuna's Eye (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)

    Screenplay

  • This Old Road -KONOMICHI- (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)

    Screenplay

  • A Distant Cry from Spring (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)

    Writer

  • After the Rain(2018)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • After the Rain: Wish in a Pocket (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)

    Show 4 episodes · Screenplay

  • Life as a Girl (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)

    Show 4 episodes · Screenplay

  • Mary and the Witch's Flower(2017)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • わたしをみつけて (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)

    Show 2 episodes · Screenplay

  • The Tale of The Princess Kaguya(2013)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • The Little Maestro (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    Writer

  • My Neighbors the Yamadas(1999)

    Songs

    Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all films

Career shape

A full career of 17 titles from 1999 to 2026.

Biggest box office

Mary and the Witch's Flower (2017)

$42M worldwide

Highest rated

The Tale of The Princess Kaguya (2013)

Midcredits 99th

By role

only this rolewith another role
Writing16 of 17: 16 only writing, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score85thOther crew1 of 17: 1 only other crew, 0 with another role

By decade

1990s1 · crew2010s10 · crew2020s6 · crew

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.

How do Riko Sakaguchi's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 85th percentile, the median of all 8; across their 7 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 81st percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

81stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 7

Approval · how many liked their films

84thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 7

Reach · how many have seen their films

86thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 7

Midcredits score across 8 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up7
  • 50th to 74th1

Shape of the crowd

7 of their 8 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved1
  • Crowd Pleaser7

Most divisive · writer

Climbing for Life (2025)

55th percentile spread · 15% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · writer

The Tale of The Princess Kaguya (2013)

Midcredits 99th · 88% liked

Reviewers score the dialogue 51/100 and the plot and story 52/100 in their films, across 5 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a writer.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Who does Riko Sakaguchi work with?

People who share at least 2 of Riko Sakaguchi's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Yomoji Otono shares the most, 2.

Writers

Actors

Editors

Producers